The Joy of Cooking

A family-style restaurant with a very happy chef

W

hen Tina Santoro Asmar took over a sad old convenience store near a golf driving range and converted it into a homey trattoria, the whole neighborhood got brighter. And noisier. Asmar simultaneously cooks like an Italian grandmother from the old country and jokes nonstop with other employees and the regulars who would prefer to keep this secret (and her) to themselves. (It was, in fact, Asmar’s father who taught her how to cook. He owned Santoro’s Bakery in Roslindale Square for 27 years.) The gourmet sandwiches and hot entrees at Santoro’s Sicilian Trattoria, which come in pans that look like Grandma just pulled them out of the oven, will make you want to buy a Vespa and say “Ciao!” to people as you ride past. The especially popular lasagna and chicken parmigiana entrées feature a sweet tomato sauce and fresh cheeses. Still hungry? Give in to temptation and try the whoopie pie, big enough to share with the entire family. You can also take home oven-ready entrées. Jacobson

The people who settled Dedham in 1635 wanted to call it “Contentment,” but the killjoys in the Massachusetts General Court overruled them and named it after Dedham, a town in England.